Human obesity has been identified as a global epidemic. According to the publication of the World Health Organisation 2008: Global Burden of Disease Study 2013, The Lancet, the number of people classified as overweight increased from an estimated number of 857 million in 1980, to 2.1 billion in 2013, with 4 billion people being predicted as being overweight by 2030.
This has an economic cost. For example, in the United Kingdom, in 2007 it was estimated that 42% of men and 32% of women were overweight having an estimated cost to the economy of US$26 billion, in the United States of America, in 2010 it was estimated that 74% of men and 64% of women were overweight having an estimated cost to the economy of US$147 billion, and in Australia, in 2012 it was estimated that 42% of men and 28% of women were overweight having an estimated cost to the economy of US$53 billion. [National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), Australian Heart Foundation; Centre for Disease Control (CDC); National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES); The Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC).]
Furthermore, it has been reported that: over half of Australians (55.7%) and Americans (51%) are trying to lose weight; 45% of women and 23% of men in the healthy weight range think that they are overweight; approximately 91% of women are unhappy with their bodies; and the increase in obesity is mainly occurring in 20 to 40 year olds. [Jeffery R W, Sherwood N E, Brelje K, et al. Mail and phone interventions for weight loss in a managed-care setting: Weigh-To-Be one-year outcomes. Int J Obes Related Metab Disord. 2003; 27(12):1584-1592; Linde J A, Jeffery R W, French S A, Pronk N P, Boyle R G. Self-weighing in weight gain prevention and weight loss trials. Ann Behav Med. 2005; 30(3):210-216; Butryn M L, Phelan S, Hill J O, Wing R R. Consistent self-monitoring of weight: a key component of successful weight loss maintenance. Obesity. 2007; 15(12):3091-3096; The Technology Boom: A New Era in Obesity Management. Gilmore, Duhé, Frost, Redman. J Diabetes Sci Technol. 2014 Feb. 27; 8(3):596-608.]
In light of these statistics, it is not surprising that many people have a personal fitness goal of losing, gaining, or maintaining/monitoring weight, and/or improving their body size or shape.
Research has repeatedly shown that frequent self-monitoring, such as weighing and/or taking circumference measurements, plays an important, if not critical, role in achieving weight loss or gain, and other fitness goals.
Current methods for monitoring weight include:                Use of a weighing scale (i.e. a measuring instrument for determining the weight or mass of an object). This technique has the benefit of being inexpensive and fast, but is not able to indicate changes in body shape.        Use of a measuring tape. Whilst inexpensive, this technique is prone to user error, impractical and time consuming.        Use of Dual-energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA, or DEXA). This technology facilitates accurate body composition measurement, but has disadvantages of not providing body girth/circumference measurements, being expensive, and time consuming. Furthermore, it may have associated health implications. In this regard, whilst the amount of radiation used in the technology is typically extremely small, less than one-tenth the dose of a standard chest x-ray, and less than a day's exposure to natural radiation, for clinical and commercial use there have been recommendations that an individual should only be scanned twice per annum due to health implications.        Use of three dimensional (3D) body scanners and mappers, such as those provided under the trademarks Image Twin™ and mPort™. Whilst the Image Twin™ system allows for the creation of an accurate 3D avatar representation of a body, it is expensive and requires use of specialized equipment typically located in a laboratory. The mPort™ system allows for an accurate 3D avatar representation of a body to be created, and for the provision of circumference measurements. However, it is also expensive, requires use of specialized equipment at prescribed locations, and provides only graphical data for weight changes.        Use of virtual weight loss simulators, such as those provided under the trademarks Model My Diet™, Change in Seconds™, and Virtual Weight Loss Model Lite™ (software app). These systems typically allow for the generation of “before” and “after” cartoon avatar representations of a body. They are only available as executables that run on computers e.g. a desktop and provide basic estimates only using basic anthropometric data.        Use of virtual product simulators, such as that provided under the trade mark Optitex™. The Optitex™ system allows for the generation of a single cartoon avatar representation of a body. It is only available as executables that run on computers and provides basic estimates only using basic anthropometric data.        Use of photos, such as that provided under the trade mark Good Housekeeping™. The Good Housekeeping™ system is photo-based, but only allows for the simple narrowing and expanding of an uploaded photograph in the two dimensional (2D) space which is a basic type of image morphing approaches used in image manipulation/processing software (e.g. photoshop).        
An investigation (published in J Diabetes Sci Technol. 2013 Jul. 1; 7(4):1057-65. Using avatars to model weight loss behaviors: participant attitudes and technology development) revealed a high level of interest in an avatar-based program, with formative work indicating promise. Given the high costs associated with in vivo exposure and practice, this investigation demonstrates the potential use of avatar-based technology as a tool for modeling weight loss behaviors.
It is against this background that the present invention has been developed.